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English Vinglish
In the United States for the first time, an Indian housewife with a limited command of English turns Manhattan into her personal language school.
Release : | 2012 |
Rating : | 7.8 |
Studio : | Eros International, Lola's Productions, Hope Productions, |
Crew : | Director of Photography, Costume Designer, |
Cast : | Sridevi Adil Hussain Mehdi Nebbou Priya Anand Sumeet Vyas |
Genre : | Drama Comedy Family |
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I love this movie so much
So much average
It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.
It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
Shashi (played by Sridevi) is disrespected by her husband and daughter, in part because of her lack of English. When she visits New York to help her sister with a wedding, she secretly takes an English class. In the process, she discovers self-respect and self-love.This comedy-drama is simply fantastic. Sridevi, returning to acting after 15 years, gives a flawless performance. The supporting cast, from Sridevi's husband (Adil Hussain) down to her young son (7-year old Shivansh Kotia) all give solid performances, with Mehdi Nebbou (as Laurent) and Priya Anand (as Sapna) being especially impressive. The music is mainly incidental/background, but some of the songs are beautiful. Shot mostly in NYC, the location shots look great. The plot itself is touching, funny, and inspirational. I can't rate this film high enough, as it was as close to perfect as I have seen.(This film includes a delightful cameo from Amitabh Bachchan.)
Film Review – English Vinglish.1. A mother of a teenage daughter (played by Sridevi) cannot speak English well. Her daughter hates to take her to school because her friend's mother can speak good English! She is reluctant to take her mother to school in parents-teachers meet lest her friends and teachers will come to know that she cannot speak good English so basically is a ganwar (illiterate) female the daughter is ashamed to take around in public. The same daughter is OK with the fact that her mother is cooking and taking care of the home front – just that she should not get to meet her friends! Otherwise all other home- front requirements that a child needs from the mother is given to her and she is fine with it.2. Husband is working in an Advt. agency – speaks good English – yet married to her because he is an intelligent man who understands that the role of a wife has nothing to do with her knowledge of any particular language any language for that matter – his priorities regarding wife-factor were clear cut! Bit of a belittling attitude towards his wife – he is fine with the fact that she is taking care of the home front plus even making some money on her own by selling 'kishmish-topped-laddus'!3. Son, who is barely 4 -5 years old is the only one who is a bit attached to his mother – because he was still very dependent on her for reaching potty-seat and eating food etc. Keeping the family personality on mind – very soon, even he would alienate from his mother because of her poor English speaking skills!4. By chance, Sridevi gets an opportunity to visit the US to attend her niece's wedding. She is surprised to see her own sister being so confident about staying in a foreign country all on her own! She was managing things quite well to which her sister replies that her husband's ever encouraging nature was the reason of her confidence. This saddens Sridevi a bit because all that she got by being a good wife and mother was just the belittling attitudes of her family members – and that too for as vague and stupid a reason as not being able to converse in English with friends, kith and kin! 5. Sridevi then joins 'spoken English' and tries to improvise on her English speaking skills to surprise her family members!6. Last scene is so damn pathetic!! She tries to win the confidence and love of her family members by speaking in English .oh! my - how humiliating is that! It's like a female can be a pure Bi*ch as far as nature or character is concerned – but she can get away with anything if and only if she can speak in English!This is pathetically yours,India!!
She is back...yes SRI is back!! That too with a bang on performance, muttering certain English-Vinglish!! Moreover, as the film progresses, you stop searching for the Sri Hawa Hawai Devi in the Shashi Godbole she plays so naturally!! So remarkably she portrays and lives the vulnerability of a woman, that you are compelled to see beyond the star she has been. Again not delving too much into each and every detail of the movie I will share my picks:1. Barring the strange plastic nose, even today, Sri can give many contemporary actresses run for their money. It was the role which demanded her to be draped in the 9 mtr cloth throughout, otherwise the figure she maintains can still create enough oomph!! Those big oceanic eyes can still drown many!2. Most importantly, as against the title, the movie is not about learning a certain firangi language. Rather, it is about the journey of a woman from a dark gloomy world of low self-esteem to a confident and self-loving persona. Practically speaking, it is not a story of only some fictional Shashi, but of many Indian housewives who encounter googlies of Anglicised world around them daily. Shashi can definitely inspire some of them to break their mental shackles and discover the woman inside them who is comfortable being herself and who has the ability to walk with the world herself.3. Yes, many characters esp. in her English class seem too type-casted and borrowed from comedies like 'Zabaan sambhaal ke' (based on 'Mind your Language'). They are still able to tickle your funny bone.4. The director has also handled the French love angle quite sensitively. Sri makes it very clear why she is not reciprocating; respect is what she wants, not love. Best part is, there is no unnecessary melodrama on this topic.5. Cinematography is more about skyscrapers of Manhattan with a full song dedicated to the US city. Music is peppy, not catchy though.6. Rest of the characters are good in their own places. Sujata Kumar with her endearing smile mesmerizes. Nice to see veteran Sulabha Deshpande after long. However, there could have been some more Marathi actors to give more desi and authentic flavour to the Marathi family flick. Not to forget Big B in a small cameo. He definitely adds some more cheer to the scenes.In all, EV is as sweet as Shashi's ladoos (yummy they look on screen!!), as suave as Shashi's looks and as focused as Shashi's will power. Those looking for G (glamour) quotient should give it a miss. Recommended for rest. Another addition to the league of nice small budget movies we are getting this year!
Sridevi has made a return to film in this meaty role in which she plays Shashi, a traditional lady in India who speaks mostly Hindi while her husband and children are very versed in English. They even put her down about it. She is asked to go to America to help her sister plan her daughter's wedding, and she has to go alone. She is a veritable fish out of water, not being able to communicate properly in English, even causing trouble at a coffee shop (that scene tries to reinforce the notion that Americans are rude. That notion is dispelled soon enough, however). Frustrated, she enrolls in a four week English learning course, to fit in better. Brave to Sridevi, who is great in this role. Like Sadha, in which she plays an amnesiac who becomes childlike, she becomes the character so convincingly it is almost like she isn't even acting. Still such a pretty lady with big beautiful brown eyes, she just radiates. I highly recommend this film, especially to anyone who has known the immigrant experience. Even if you haven't, this light comedy is very much worth watching.